<i>Echinops taeckholmiana</i> Amin: Optimization of a Tissue Culture Protocol, Biological Evaluation, and Chemical Profiling Using GC and LC-MS

Abstract

There have been no reports published on the rare <i>Echinops taeckholmiana</i> growing wildly in Egypt. So, this study aimed to preserve it through method optimization of in vitro seed germination, besides callus formation from induced seedlings. Chemical profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the <i>n-</i>hexane fraction afforded 29 identified components, mainly fatty acids esters, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, one thiophene, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electron spray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI/MS-MS) analysis of total alcoholic root and induced calli extracts resulted in 68 metabolites. Taraxeryl acetate, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol-3β-d-glucoside, and 1,1,1-kestopentaose were identified from the defatted root extract, which inhibited α-amylase (IC₅₀ 54.6 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (60.4 μg/mL) enzymes compared with acarbose (IC₅₀ values of 30.57 and 34.71 μg/mL, respectively). Moreover, it showed moderate activity against HepG2 (IC₅₀ 31.1 ± 1.4 μg/mL) and no activity against M-NFS-60 cell lines compared to cisplatin (IC₅₀ 3.25 ± 1.4 and 8.37 ± 0.25, respectively).